Advantage Point
by D.C. Filbert
Summary: RyoSaku. Young Sakuno's heart nearly shatters at Ryoma's unintentional rejection. Noting this, the young girl attempts to improve herself to show her worth...in tennis. POORLY OOC.
1. Deuce

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_**A/N:** Hey all, I'm working on my other fics since I **procrastinated**…sorry about that. Well, to get myself into a serious tone, I decided to make this with **Prince of Tennis. **I haven't played tennis in months!So you have to give me some credit for remembering a tinge of the scoring system. This was _supposed _to be a **One-shot**, yet, somehow I noticed it was longer than my normal ones. _Curse me and my short attention span_! I also notice in my _twisted-somehow-tale-of-romance_, Sakuno's character changes. _It was inevitable I tell you_! So, later in the story she's a _bit _OOC…but if you can let that slide…thanks!  
Oh well, I hope you like…

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**Disclaimer:** I don't have the rights to Prince of Tennis.

**Advantage Point**

Part 1: Deuce

Ka-Pok!

That was a clean top spin serve executed by the great Ryoma Echizen.

The young boy with the dark hair glared straight into the green fur as the ball was returned. Hitting it back with a mighty force, he released a grunt sending the ball clean over the net . . . and bounding in then passing the white line.

"15-love!" called Coach Ryuzaki. She smirked seeing how easily Echizen got that point in only three minutes into the game. She crossed her arms over her chest and chuckled.

_I don't think anyone could possibly match the prince_. She thought. She looked over to see her young granddaughter admiring the young boy from the sidelines. She could see the chocolate eyes burn holes through the boy's shirt. Obviously, it seemed she was studying the boy's every move in this match. _Heh, what could Sakuno possibly be thinking? _Ryuzaki-sensei mused.

She saw the girl sigh, but never leave her eyes off of the boy. He had a fluid motion when hitting the ball; he followed through at the right timing and sent the green ball across the net always landing in. It seemed young Ryoma had an eerie gift; the ball would never disobey him when he wanted the ball in.

_How does he do it_, thought the braided haired girl. She tapped at her chin staring at his footwork while at the same time trying to make it look like she was only at this match to fawn over him. When he looked in her direction, she would blush and give him a weird smile. He would roll his eyes and continue with his game. Her intentions were so not Sakuno-like. She still looked like the innocent Sakuno, but her eyes tell a different story.

Sakuno hid a determination to defeat Ryoma in tennis. It had too long since the last time Ryoma insulted Sakuno. He teased her about the times she lost to him. Before, she thought she wouldn't ever be able to beat him, but now, she had an all new motivation.

Months ago, television aired the Wimbledon. The men in the sport were phenomenal. Their serving speed was a whopping 55 mph. (_I think one of the guys were that fast, I can't remember_). She was highly impressed. When she saw the girls play, they were as amazing as the boys. She saw some players not start until they were her age. Imagine girls in Wimbledon actually become pro just starting at her age. One girl even said on camera, that she never let a boy at her school win in tennis without a fight. (I don't think that's true…) Sakuno saw, and learned.

She was going to follow that example. Ryoma had his pride and to the surprise of most, so did Sakuno. She wasn't going to change personality-wise, but when it comes to game, she was to be a demon in tennis.

Weeks passed, and Sakuno made an enemy out of the wall. Constantly pounding tennis balls with her racket, forced little dents in the wall. Her hits became more accurate. Her serves, according to the speed meter, were well above the 5 mph range. It didn't sound impressive, but it was a success in the young girl's eyes.

No longer did her eyes show fear. They both spurned the fire and power it would in any pro tennis player. During her practices, she was even forced to restring her racket three times. When you see that your racket is in need of a restringing, you know you're ready for a challenge.

At school, she would see her eye candy calmly strutting down the halls with his tennis racket. In the weeks of her practices, she disciplined herself so that she wouldn't allow herself to be distracted by him. Nowadays, she wouldn't blush, or stutter around him, but she would fall and trip, though that can change with another few weeks of tennis practice.

Sakuno's change was beginning to show to people. Even Tomoka was questioning Sakuno's change in behavior.

"Sakuno, are you feeling alright? You've been acting strange lately." She approached Sakuno one day in the halls. Her eyes were flooded with concern, and a little bit of fear.

Sakuno simply nodded, and gave Tomoka a reassuring smile. "What are you talking about Tomo-chan?" She lightly giggled, "I'm fine." Sakuno then brushed passed her on her way to the tennis courts.

"…Sakuno?" Tomoka sighed and merely shrugged it off. _Maybe something happened between her and Ryoma-sama._ With that, she turned on her heel and left.

While on her way to the courts, she looked over to some Ponta vending machines. She stopped for the moment, and cast her eyes downward at the ground. The innocent Sakuno was beginning to rise up again, as she remembered what happened two weeks ago.

**Flashback**

_Sakuno was walking to the tennis courts to meet her grandma with a bounce in her every step. Her heart was pounding, waiting to see Ryoma practice. When she made it to the courts, she saw him. She froze right then and there. She swallowed hard and entered._

"_Um….grandma…" Sakuno spoke softly as she walked up to Ryuzaki-sensei. "I was watching TV, when this commercial went on after a tennis match." _

Ryuzaki-sensei turned her attention away from the rally the Seigaku regulars started earlier to her granddaughter. "Go on…" She smiled wondering what Sakuno's direction was leading to.

"…_well, it was a commercial advertising this local tennis tournament. It's a very short tournament, so there's no worry about it being time-consuming…it has one set per round…Ah…and, it allows people from the ages of ten and up but you need an adult present and…" Sakuno blushed furiously noting that everyone who was rallying stopped and turned their attention excitedly to her. Ryuzaki-sensei just chuckled._

_She then smiled crossing her arms looking down at Sakuno. "…and?" _

_Sakuno felt a surge of pressure and closed her eyes tightly feeling the eyes burn into her._

"_Ah…I was just wondering if you could enter me in, grandma!" For a request like that, there was no real reason for her to ask in front of the Seigaku boys. _

_However, Sakuno didn't realize that until later and she slowly let her eyes roam the courts to see eyes scanning her. She felt utterly embarrassed. She knew she wasn't the best female tennis player, but after watching a few tennis matches at school and on TV, she felt it was necessary to go for her dreams._

_And hers was actually succeeding in winning a match on her own in tennis._

_Ryuzaki-sensei wanted to end her granddaughter's embarrassment, so she nodded and dismissed her. Sakuno didn't move for a while because she felt that there wasn't a pair of eyes watching her…one she wanted to see her with courage and determination as a tennis player, not as a fan girl fawning over him. _

_She looked in his direction and saw he was sitting, eyes closed and arms crossed. Everyone else on the team smiled at her, acknowledging her spirit, but Ryoma. She felt ashamed. She wanted him of all people to respect her for her decision. He couldn't even give her that. She began to believe that no matter what, she would be the worst tennis player ever. Unshed tears began stinging her gentle eyes as she dashed out of the courts._

Ryoma-kun is so cold. Why do I do things to myself just to get his attention?_ She thought letting the tears of embarrassment and failure pour down her cheeks. _

Do I really need his acceptance in order to live on? Do I truly need his attention just to be me?_ Her questions were weakening her feelings for the young boy. _

Do I really need **him** to care?_ She stopped running and leaned on the doorframe that opened to the halls of the school. She quickly rubbed her eyes, using the back of her hand to wipe off the tears. She looked up, with a miserable face, and to no one in particular, she spoke aloud,_

"_Do I really need to love him?"_

**End of Flashback**

Sakuno remembered the day she gave up on Ryoma. Using her leftover feelings for him, she was able to sign up for the tournament that would take place two weeks from now.

She held her head up high while walking swiftly to the tennis courts. She sighed, her feelings were still lingering in her heart and she couldn't stop them. They flowed like a river, flooding her other emotions. It overpowered them and she just couldn't concentrate.

_No, Sakuno. You can't let him get to you. He makes you **weak**. You saw your serves. They surpass any girls' serve at this school now. Just let go._ She nodded to herself and looked through the cage of the court.

"Ryoma-kun…" she said softly to herself.

There she saw him. He was practicing by himself. Every time he hit, some fuzz from the ball would be visible on his racket strings. She could tell he was putting a lot of power in his serve.

She couldn't take her eyes off of him. Her feelings were pulling at her heart strings. At every slam at the ball, her heart would skip a beat. She clenched the wires on the cage and frowned.

Sakuno was holding back tears; she looked down in shame for her hopeless feelings still swimming in her heart. She let go of the wire and walked away slowly.

Ryoma blinked having a strange feeling that he was being watched. Looking at the entrance of the courts, he sighed as he saw nothing.

Something was distracting him and he couldn't understand why. He brought himself to the courts to keep his mind focused on the one thing he simply loves. The court, that he expected to clear his mind, wasn't helping. He felt he was missing something.

A Week Earlier

Momo-senpai dashed back and forth returning the balls being served to him. He gasped as he felt himself tripping over a racket. "What the--?" Before he could fall on his face, he slammed his palm into the pavement saving him. He noticed the racket and looked for the owner.

"Oi, Echizen! Why are ya being careless! I nearly broke my neck because of your racket!" Momo hollered tossing the racket to Ryoma.

Catching it, Ryoma raised an eyebrow to him. "Hn." His response caused Momo-senpai to blast out saying how irresponsible Ryoma is with his tennis equipment. Closing his eyes, leaning back and resting his head on his arms on the ground, he gave a sly smirk, "What if I wanted you to hurt yourself?" Again, it brought the result of a very frustrated Momo-senpai.

Ryuzaki-sensei walked into the courts and saw Momo screeching at the top of his lungs to a not-so-caring Ryoma. "So what's all this? Momo, Ryoma? What's going on?" She inquired.

Momo smirked, "Aww, Ryoma's just having one of those days...ones that happen when Sakuno-chan didn't come and watch him practice." With that statement Ryoma shot up and glared at Momo.

Ryuzaki-sensei blinked questionably, but laughed in her head. "Oh? Is that true Ryoma?" She smiled looking down at the boy on the ground.

He frowned, "Tch…." He got up, picked up his stuff and made his way exiting the courts. Ryuzaki-sensei stood dumbfounded by Ryoma's response. She was unsure what he meant, while Momoshiro was cracking up. (Reason: I don't have the faintest clue. I just didn't know what to make him do…)

"Hush! Practice your serves Momoshiro! Your top spin is flawed!" She pointed at him accusingly. She didn't want his mind thinking about Ryoma's scene.

Momoshiro was startled, and scrambled for his racket and a tennis ball that was on the ground. Ryuzaki-sensei looked to the direction Ryoma had left and still wondered why he didn't deny Momo's comment.

Ryoma was walking towards the Ponta vending machine until he saw Sakuno. She was walking towards the vending machine, too. Her eyes met his as she walked closer. Sakuno blinked with a closed mouth. No red appeared on her complexion.

"Ryoma-kun…" He raised his eyebrow staring at her questionably. What was she doing instead of seeing him play? He wanted know, but he didn't understand why it was so important.

"Ryuzaki-san…where-what were you doing today?" He said showing no change in his expression. She shrugged and still no blush crept into her cheeks.

"Oh, I was just wandering around after I ate my lunch. Tomo-chan finished hers and ran to meet her club," _Without you?_ He questioned in his mind as she walked over to the vending machine. He saw her cringe looking at the lack of selection. The water fountain was far and she was probably lazy; this was the only option. "I didn't really want to go to her meeting." She sighed.

Her voice showed no sign of any nervousness. She spoke clearly without stuttering. Why was Sakuno acting this way? Could she have changed? The real question was why did she change her behavior around him?

"Oh, I should be leaving now, Ryoma-kun. I _guess_ I'll see you later." She said calmly smiling.

Ryoma couldn't just let her leave finding out the reason why she didn't watch him practice. He didn't care about the reason why he cared; he just needed to get her reason out in the open. So, he hastily grabbed her arm stopping her in her tracks.

"Ah…? Ryoma-kun?" She looked up at him wondering what was up.

"Why weren't you at the practice?" He paused searching for the right words, "…I thought you wanted to watch people play tennis to improve yourself." He added, hoping it would save him from seeming like he cared if she went or not.

Her eyes widened for a second, then just stared at him for a second. She shrugged. "Eh…well…Ryoma-kun, I just didn't want to be a distraction to you…" Hearing that, it relieved him for the moment, until she continued. "Plus, Ryoma-kun, I'm not too fond of mediocre, selfish tennis players…ones like you…" she shrugged his grip off of her and continued walking.

"_Too fond of selfish tennis players…ones like **you**…_"

Present

Sakuno could do nothing but constantly blame her mistakes of failure on her old crush on Ryoma. Even if they weren't true, she used that to improve herself even more.

This was her motivation.

Ryuzaki-sensei went home and she saw Sakuno already on her homework. "Sakuno? Are you sure you want to enter that tournament?"

"Eh…? Oh, yes, grandma." She acknowledged her presence, though Sakuno didn't stop looking at the book. Her pencil continued to scratch away on the paper, with delicate precision. She heard as her grandmother turns on her heel and sighs as she exits leaving Sakuno to her business.

Sakuno stared with cold eyes, the spot her grandmother stood. She knew she was worried about her behavior.

_Even grandma's worrying is Ryoma-kun's fault…_

Sakuno buried her head into her arms and began to sob. When she thought, 'kun,' her old feelings sprang up from the darkness and greeted her casually.

Whether she liked it or not, her feelings for Ryoma would always come back and haunt her.

The following day, the word had spread regarding meek little Sakuno Ryuzaki's entrance in the big bad tennis tournament that would take place in a few weeks. People had no faith in her success, and Sakuno was fully aware of that.

Though she didn't let anyone's discouraging words get to her, but she wanted to make people believe she had not changed. In class, she would encounter her classmates that tried to say she had no chance.

"…Eh..? Y-you want me to drop from the tournament?" Sakuno weakly said, clutching her chest acting, like her old 'self.' The girls, who told her she shouldn't even try, believed this was her way of trying to be popular. They wouldn't allow a girl with her status, to even bother changing herself…reasons unknown to Sakuno.

"Yes, Ryuzaki-san, you of all people know that the only person even worth going to a tournament is the great Ryoma-san. Now he is a great tennis player!" A girl with shoulder-length hair gloated enthusiastically. From a far distance, Tomoka watched as Sakuno's expression seemed like a mask. Tomoka, however, chose to keep what she saw, to herself.

Sakuno knew they would mention Ryoma. She was prepared to agree with them, while she would continue with the tournament, and not let anyone get to her.

"…Mm…I guess you're right…" She hung her head down, appearing disappointed, "I will contact my grandma and tell her to withdraw me from the tournament." With an 'obvious' submitting Sakuno response, her female walked away proud of their achievement.

_That's just about shows how much you know how much I've improved…_Sakuno's thoughts snickered. Looks can obviously be deceiving.

Worried, Tomoka approached her friend and placed a trembling hand on Sakuno's shoulder. Afraid that Sakuno could break from the discouraging talk from those girls, she used a gentle tone of voice hoping it would comfort her. "Sakuno-chan, don't listen to those bozos! They don't know anything!" Sakuno slowly turned to her and gave her a reassuring smile.

"…Yes, they _don't_ know anything." Her eyes narrowed and it shocked Tomoka.

Right then, the bell rang. Instantly, Sakuno grabbed her things and waved good-bye to Tomoka. She was still in shock as Sakuno's response didn't seem like her best friend.

_What was that all about?_

Tomoka's worry for Sakuno's change leads her to believe it had something to do with Sakuno's crush on Ryoma. After school scheduled regular tennis practice and normally, she'd invite Sakuno. Recently, Sakuno would refuse with idiotic excuses.

_First:_

"Eh…? Oh, sorry Tomo-chan. I can't go today…because I promised grandma that I would clean the toilets!"

_Second:_

"Aw, Tomo-chan! You asked too late. Grandma wants me to runs some errands after walking the neighbors' dogs!"  
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Third:_

"Tomo-chan…I'm sorry, grandma is picky with her flavor of jam…um…why is jam so important? Well, because…tonight I promised I'd make her some delicious Jam Buns! I can't come with you…sorry…"

This time, Sakuno didn't bother to give an excuse. All she was given was a grunt. Sakuno had the strangest behavior, and Tomoka didn't like how her friend was acting.

At the Tennis Courts…

Tomoka spotted Ryoma rallying while the other members were sitting down watching him. She stopped herself from drooling as she had more important business to attend to.

"Ryoma-sama!" She hollered through the cage, "May I speak with you for a second?"

He turned his head and waved to his rallying partner…Momoshiro, who began to point and laugh and make funny faces at Ryoma. Ryoma, on the other hand, didn't let the slide and so he pounded the ball into Momo's face and he stopped making sounds, period.

As Ryoma approached Tomoko, jelly was a new addition to her knees as he was coming closer. _Ohmigosh…he's really going to talk to me…face-to-face! If only the reason was to…no. Stop! This is all for Sakuno!_

"…Ah…R-Ryoma…s-sama…I just wanted to know something…"She breathed in slowly and out. He looked down at her curiously, as she was about to continue. He, however, also had something on his mind.

"Do you know what's wrong with Sakuno, recently?" The two said in unison. They both blinked and she turned a bright pink. _We…we were thinking the same thing! Ohmigosh! We have something in common! Owah! In common with the great Ryoma-sama!  
_  
As her mind rambled on, he fell silent just waiting for her to respond. "I asked you first…"

She blinked and shook her head feeling defeated. _What am I getting all excited about? Sure, we thought the same thing once, but that thought was concern for Sakuno! Oh great…_

"What…what are you saying! You have no idea either!" Her mouth hung in surprise. She believed Sakuno was making a private rendez-vous with Ryoma every time she would try to get to come with her to a tennis practice after school. But with Ryoma's lack of knowledge, Tomoka felt baffled.

He just stared and looked down. If Sakuno's best friend had no clue of Sakuno's reasons for her recent behavior, than who would?

As if on cue, Ryuzaki-sensei walked slowly towards the young ones. She looked at their confused expression and inquired, "Is something wrong?"

"R-Ryuzaki-sensei! Do you know what's wrong with Sakuno-chan lately!" She eyed the elder woman who merely blinked at the young girl's sudden concern.

"…No…maybe…it could be the stress of the tournament that she told me to enter her in." She looked at Ryoma curiously. _…Or maybe…**he's** the reason._

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_Ryoma stayed quiet and after a few moments he turned around and walked away. The two just watched as the boy walked passed the tennis courts and apparently to his home.

The young girl and the older woman stared at each other quietly. They still had no idea what was wrong with Sakuno.

When Coach Ryuzaki got home to a silent home, she instantly wondered about Sakuno. As she entered Sakuno's room, it was the same.  
_  
Hm…it's not a teenager phase…_

The woman continued to investigate in Sakuno's room until she looked over to Sakuno. The darkness was spilled over her resting form, but her eyes glowed as if demonic. Her eyes focused closely on her grandmother.

Startled by Sakuno's eerie appearance, she blinked at her as Sakuno rose.

"Sakuno, it's too early for sleep. Have you worked too hard today?" Sakuno looked at her hands then returned to look at her grandma.

"Yes." Sakuno breathed quietly. She began to rub her eyes and continued to speak, "…not to be rude grandma, but…" Coach Ryuzaki sighed and gave a weak smile walking towards the door.

"It's alright, I understand, good-night Sakuno-chan." Without hearing a response, she unhappily left the young girl's room.

She left the room without finding the answers she wanted.

The weeks continued to fly by and yet no one who was remotely close to Sakuno ever go to understand what was going on with her.

And in those weeks, word got out that someone else had entered the tournament, too.

"All right everybody! Great news! Ryoma-sama entered the all-ages tournament and now we have a reason to watch this one!" one of the girls in the Ryoma Fan Club said glaring at Tomoka. _Psh, not doing her job_. The girl thought viciously.

Ryoma became one of the insignificant thoughts in her mind. Sakuno was the number one thought, and she was going to worry about her until she became her normal self.

Meanwhile, Sakuno busied herself with practice and she was not deaf. She knew he had entered the tournament as well. It was indeed co-ed, which would mean if she was successful, she would have to go against him…in her oddly confident mind, go against him in the final round.

That didn't get to her fortunately. She's been complimenting herself as she's been improving when no one is around. Her serves are dead-on, her returns are smooth and finally her form is impressive. Unfortunately, she thought this would prevent her from being clumsy, though that was a failure. Nobody's perfect, right?

It was the week before the tournament. The Ryoma fans were preparing t-shirts, banners and all such annoying and very distracting accessories for the event about to take place. No other Seigaku boy chose to enter and most of them thought it was cute how Ryoma was joining the tournament with his 'girlfriend.'

It didn't faze him, like Sakuno. Also, he kept the confidence that Sakuno had too. Strangely alike, the two tennis players both thought they were going to win. On the other hand, he thought he would easily beat Sakuno. Though, in his mind, something told him something was going to stall his victory.

It was in the week before the tournament, something would make Sakuno's thirst for a win ever stronger. She would find herself appearing vulnerable with a tennis racket in her grasp at the tennis courts that was at a park. She was actually lost in her train of thought. She was merely trying to get herself ready, mentally. Physically, she was prepared, but her emotions and pathetic feelings for Ryoma were a great distraction. What she didn't realize was that she was being watched from afar.

_Continued… _

**A/N:** I promise to end this before I continue my others…I _never _break my promise.


	2. Advantage Ryoma

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_**A/N:** _Eek_, I was able to finish **this** but not my **others**! _Shame on me_! Before anything, I'd like to admit one thing…this is my _worst_ fic **ever**. I hate how I treat characters like Sakuno. I'm **mean**. Sad.

Yes, yes, I've noticed that Sakuno's not a little OOC, but **really** OOC. As later, I'll make an epilogue so I can redeem myself for such a failure!

Do enjoy if you can!

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**Disclaimer:** I don't have the rights to Prince of Tennis.

**Advantage Point**

_Part 2: Advantage-Ryoma _

Ryoma was just about to practice in the same court as Sakuno until he saw her. He was fighting with himself whether or not he should talk to her or not. He was about to approach her and ask her until he remembered his other encounter with Sakuno.

"Too fond of selfish tennis players…ones like **you**…"

He froze in his place. What right did she have to call him selfish? That angered him. Just then Sakuno noticed Ryoma was looking at her. His eyes were blazing with unresolved anger.

She looked at him, and wondered why he appeared so angry. What right did he have to be angry with her? Now _that_ annoyed _her_. Young Sakuno crossed her arms and looked away. Her cheeks started to redden with irritancy as she thought he was thinking that Sakuno had no right to practice.

_He probably thinks I'm too clumsy to even catch a ball._ The poor girl's mind was clouded with negativity as she forgot she was using the wall for practice until reality struck her.

**Pok!**

Sakuno squealed rubbing her face as the tennis ball rolled. Ryoma heard as the ball hit Sakuno and looked over to her. He blinked as he saw a red mark where the ball hit on her cheek. He saw tears form in her eyes but wasn't sure what to do about it. All of his anger seemed to have disappeared.

Her bottom lip quivered as the ball's strike stung her cheek.

_I'm so embarrassed_. She dared not to look over to Ryoma. She couldn't look and saved herself from more embarrassment. _Why can't I ever look cool in front of him? I always have to ruin things with my klutzy ways!_ Sakuno's pride was hurting more than ever. She let tears fall as there was no way to hide them from Ryoma anyway.

Just then, a cooling sensation hit that stinging cheek and she jumped in response.

"Aie! Cold!" She squeaked looking at the culprit. It was ice wrapped in some sort of cloth. She blinked looking at the hands holding it to her cheek. _R-Ryoma-kun…?_

"…Mada mada dane." He looked deep in her chocolate eyes and frowned a bit. _Still clumsy as ever? _He smirked.

Sakuno's eyes were wobbly, as they were holding in her tears from both embarrassment and slight pain. Her shaky hand rose slowly to meet the cloth and held it to her cheek. She looked away towards the ground but couldn't stop the blush from appearing in her face.

_Why does he do this to me?_ Her shoulders were shaking; she couldn't keep this front any longer. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she ran from Ryoma, who wasn't sure why he cared.

That night, Sakuno brought the covers way over her head while the red mark disappeared.

After that incident, she realized for certain, her feelings for the boy would never leave. Knowing that, she knew the tournament wasn't going to be easy. She still cared deeply for Ryoma.

All of the preparations were set, everyone was riled up. It was the day before the actual tournament. It was the day before Sakuno was going to show her new self to her classmates…and most importantly, to Ryoma.

All were aware that this tournament was to be short. Not a lot of people entered it, much less even heard about it. So the spots were filled easily.

The morning that would follow the tournament, Sakuno redid her hair and tightened her braids. She wore cloudy-white wristbands and a sweatband that went snug around her head. Her skirt flowed around her thighs and her socks covered her slender ankles. Her shoes had specks of dirt but that didn't matter.

Sakuno stopped her preparations and saw who it was in the mirror. She gently touched her cheek and trailed her jaw line with her pinky. She looked harder and longer concentrating on this girl who stared back at her. Her lips parted her eyes fiery; no doubt in her mind clouded her thoughts…Sakuno's eyes shivered with fear as she crouched down hugging her knees. _Who are you?_ _I don't know who you are._

Her grandmother looked at Sakuno in wonder. She sighed at her undiagnosed behavior.  
She couldn't help but think it was something that Ryoma did that made her this way.

"Sakuno, it's time to go," she said softly. Sakuno looked up and gave a weak smile. The determination that Sakuno held so close to her was slowly dying down. She picked up her racket and walked with her grandma as they went outside, closing the door after them.

She and her grandmother went to Tomoka's house to pick her up. Tomoka was excited to see her best friend enter a big competition. Sakuno was happy Tomoka was going to watch her matches, but a sinking feeling submerged when she began to think she came _only_ to see Ryoma play, and not her.

_Ryoma-kun_... His name brought on the winds of uncertainty. His name only made Sakuno weaker than she already was. Her breathing became ragged. Did she really have enough courage to play with the big-time Ryoma Echizen? She clutched her chest and sighed. When she looked up, Sakuno blinked not only to see she was left alone in a parking lot.

"E-Eh? Eto…?" she looked around, lost. Old habits die hard, especially when it comes to someone who is slowly losing the confidence she held so strongly. She pointed her finger wondering where Tomoka and her grandmother went.

"Sakuno-chan! What are you doing? Let's go! They're about to start! Hurry or else we'll miss Ryoma-sama's grand entrance!" Tomoka squealed while mentioning Ryoma. Sakuno gasped and nodded wobbly over to her friend.

"H-hai!" She followed. Sakuno nearly tripped over a rock and squeaked when she gained her balance, until Tomoka called her once again.

As they approached the tournament grounds, the seats were filled with parents, teenagers, of course, the Ryoma fans. Sakuno scanned the audience and giggled when she saw the famous Seigaku boys holding up banners that supported both she and Ryoma, of course since it was that group of boys, there were also poorly drawn pictures of Sakuno and Ryoma's heads next to their names. Yet, reading 'Ryoma' on their banner with her name on it, made a pout appear on her face. She sighed and didn't let it bother her much, even when it was the only thing on her mind.

She read on the board with all of the competitors, and discovered her turn was coming. Right then she gained the sweats. _Am I really ready for this?_ The poor girl, she struggled with her confidence that took her weeks to gain.

The first game was between a high school sophomore boy and a young junior high girl. Sakuno watched this match eagerly, anxiously awaiting her turn and saw a fire burn in the girl's eyes. She didn't care that this boy was an upperclassman; she wanted to win.

The girl's courage and determination deserved applause, but unfortunately, she lost.

"That was a good game, wasn't it Sakuno-chan?" Tomoka smiled looking over to Sakuno who was so into the match. Sakuno returned a smile, and nodded.

"Yes, the young girl was good…" She said flatly. Her nerves were really getting to her. What if she made all this effort to show up Ryoma only to hit the ground of reality only to know that would never happen in the young girl's life? She saw as the older boy shook hands with the younger girl to show they were both good sports.

Sakuno was prepared but nervously carried her racket to her side of the court. Predictably, she tripped over the rack full of tennis balls and started apologizing absent-mindedly. Ryoma smirked at her inevitability.

Like Sakuno, he didn't forget what happened in their last encounter. He coughed dryly and lowered his hat to hide a blush. _Nnh, why did I do that?_ He frowned and sighed. After adjusting his cap, he turned his attention to the match that was about to take place.

Sakuno frowned, feeling the wave of nervousness crash on her tiny being. All the while she was careful not to trip on anything when she was making her way to her side of the court. She looked onto the scoreboard and read she was to face a girl that attends high school that is far across the city.

"Oi, may the best girl win." The opposing girl excitedly hollered getting into a prepared stance. She smirked readying herself for Sakuno's serve as the ball was tossed to Sakuno.

Her opponent was armed with a Wilson brand racket. Her ensemble is a simple brand-less tennis skirt that is cut off just above her knee. Her wristbands are black going with her cobalt-colored racket. She definitely appears ready for a match, and experienced.

Sakuno nodded, "Mm!" catching the ball deep into her palm. Licking her lips, she smirks while slowly bouncing the ball and instantly, she senses people expect her to be a klutz. Her lips make a thin line and clumsily tossed the ball into the air. In a split second, the ball zips quickly passed the girl on the other side as she fails to return.

"15-love," A clear voice announces. The entire area is silent. They are completely bewildered by what they had just witnessed. Innocent, _poor_ tennis player Sakuno just got an ace off of a girl who appeared highly experienced?

On the sidelines, Ryoma's eyes widened with surprise. His mind gone blank, he can't quite register the fact that Sakuno aced this seemingly experienced tennis player. Ryoma joins the others in complete bewilderment as he surely believed Sakuno would be aced on, not the other way around.

Tomoka and Coach Ryuzaki, however, did not appear surprised. They figured this was what made Sakuno act so different. This hidden power gave Sakuno a behavior that would make her abnormal. But then again, it was so early in the match…only time would tell.

Sakuno's opponent looked satisfied. _Now this is what I call a tennis match_. She wiped nervous sweat beads from her chin using her dry wristbands. Even she, someone who didn't even know Sakuno, thought Sakuno wouldn't have done something like that.

Sakuno nervously smiled at everyone's reaction. She herself didn't expect that to happen. Sure, she was hoping she would put up a good match, but never would she have thought that she would get an ace. As the ball was thrown to her, she sighed. Sakuno didn't want people thinking she turned into a pro overnight. That would be simply impossible!

Spinning her racket in her dry palm, she prepared to do a top spin serve that took her four days to actually get right. As it is hit straight across the net, she sees it slowly bounds towards her opponent. The ball is quickly returned with high enthusiasm, and Sakuno clumsily skips to it volleying the ball right over the net.

Unfortunately for the girl, she chooses to rush the net. Sakuno sees this and sloppily lobs the ball as the girl attempts to rush this game. Unable to reach a foot above her head, the ball bounces in and then out of the court, giving Sakuno the point.

"30-love," Sakuno hears her victory and smiles innocently. She nods regarding her opponents understanding nod. Apparently, the opponent isn't as experienced as she presents herself.

As the match progresses, there is no true skill any less a carefully calculated strategy in Sakuno's opponent as she continues to try to rush the net on Sakuno.

The game ends in an easy defeat. Sakuno rushes to the center of the court, tripping along the way and reaches her hand out to show good sportsmanship just like the previous game.

Her opponent smiles at Sakuno, appreciating Sakuno for not being a jerk about winning. They shake and both girls return to their sides.

* * *

Everyone in the audience continues to gawk at the meek girl who won so easily. Especially the Seigaku boys, they never would've believed Sakuno would even win any of her matches. Sure, they admired her courage, but never thought she'd win one so soon.

As Sakuno walked over to sit by her friend and grandmother, she looked over to Ryoma's direction who was just staring at her. In his eyes, it border lined from a glare to a curious stare. He gawked at this fragile girl and an unfamiliar feeling began to build up inside of him. He looked down and tried to figure out what he was feeling at the moment.

Sakuno played successfully, -though in her typical Sakuno-clumsy way- in her match. He couldn't stop replaying her win. When he did replay it, every time, it would bring a small smile to his lips. He had also watched her plunge the ball back at her opponent and that made him a little attracted to her, in his own unusual way. The sweat that trickled down her cheek got his attention, too. He absent-mindedly started to admire her will to win, it matched his own.

His eyes tracked her down to see Ryuzaki-sensei about to hand Sakuno a water bottle. _She's going to…_he predicted as Sakuno was tossed the bottle, and struggled to hold onto it. When she did have it in her grasp, her cheeks flushed and she looked at it cautiously making sure it was still there. He slightly chuckled as he saw Sakuno's game had changed, but she hadn't lost her old mannerisms.

The following match was between two high school sophomores and one of them won. Sad to say, no one in the audience who attended Seigaku didn't care who they were, (as they filled up a large portion of the seats) but only paid attention when Sakuno or Ryoma's turn was up.

They used the time when someone they weren't familiar with played for an intermission to use the restroom or get some refreshments. Those who were playing at the time thought it to be rude but did nothing about it. Though they did not admit it, they too, wanted to watch the underestimated and well-known girl for being meek to play and the well-known _prince_ to play their matches.

The following match was treated the same, only some stayed behind appearing interested in the match. The victor was a young junior from the same school as the girl who played Sakuno in the first round. Some of the people who stayed to watch the match believed that this boy would most likely be as inexperienced as his female school mate.

As he glanced at the scoreboard, he glared at it to see that his turn was next. He wanted to finish this round quick, so he could play someone who would last…or if she was lucky enough, play Sakuno.

He paid no attention to his opponent, but stayed careful not to think about Sakuno's attractive skill. He won his match flawlessly, and returned to watch the tournament progressing. This tournament was fairly short as it was only one set. He quenched his thirst while he awaited his predicted match. One that would place him against the girl he just recently found attractive: Sakuno Ryuzaki.

Her next match pinned her with the young sophomore boy who won in the second round. What others didn't know was that this girl was recommended by her school to join this tournament. Her guardian was her coach, who was indeed a skilled tennis player.

This time, Sakuno was to be the second one to serve. She could taste her upcoming win. A calm smile found itself claiming her expression. Her confidence rose.

Everyone in the audience noticed this and felt confused of her change. This was an unusual face to be on the innocent Sakuno's face. No one had the faintest idea where this sudden burst of confidence came from.

The sophomore's form was impressive, as he raised his arms and tossed the ball in to the air smashing the ball clear across the net. Sakuno hopped back returning the ball in full force, grunting in surprise of how powerful it was. The boy on the receiving end smiled thinking, '_that return was clumsily done_.' Back-handing Sakuno's hit, it flew straight towards Sakuno. Luckily for Sakuno, she saw this and pounded the ball back over the net.

Following through, the sophomore grunted putting strong force in his return, stomping his left foot in the process. _This needs to end…now!_ He thought fiercely.

Sakuno lost the first point to this boy. Ashamed, she walked with her head down back to her side of the court. _Most likely, this game will end with me losing…_Sakuno thought, sighing as she let her eyes wander around the area. Her eyes were suddenly locked with Ryoma's.

She stopped breathing the moment she realized he was looking directly at her. All of her old feelings quickly erupted and a tear formed in her eyes. The match was still young, yet, she believed she was going to lose. Her confidence nearly dropped rock-bottom as she looked away from the tormentor of her heart. His eyes burned holes on her body.

Sakuno began trembling, feeling back to her old self again. _You're just going to lose this match. Quit right now._ She shook her head, her new self refused to give in. She shot a quick glance over to Ryoma. A strange color of pink appeared below his eyes. _Was he hot or something? _

An amused smile appeared at her pun placed her in a better mood. She giggled and got into the game. Determined eyes replaced her uneasy ones as the serve nearly passed her. Returning it successfully, the sophomore boy stupidly tried to lob it over Sakuno. Unintentionally, Sakuno smashed the ball returning it hard passed the boy whose eyes were wide with shock.

…_No…way…_The boy cracked his knuckles to prepare for the next part of the match.

"15-all…" The score was even in the first part. It continued on in this same fashion so until finally…

"…Deuce." By that time, both players were exhausted.

The sophomore boy rubbed his weary eyes and sighed. He didn't want to give up on account of exhaustion. He was going to follow this match through. And he believed he was to win it, too.

Sakuno already surprised her school from her courage and amazing hidden ability of tennis, she wasn't going to end it losing in this round. Most importantly…she wanted Ryoma of all people to know she could win this. With that as her main motivation, Sakuno planted her right foot far in front of her left, letting her arm extend and pop the ball smoothly over the net in the opposite side of her opponent. Sakuno gawked at the smooth hit of the ball. The sophomore boy rushed to where it was headed and smacked it back reversing its direction.

Sakuno groaned as she didn't want to run anymore. She was saving her energy for her match with Ryoma. _I guess…I guess I'll have to 'drop' this shot…_Sakuno slowly paced her way to the net lightly tapping the ball. Both watched as the ball bounced slowly…slowly and rolled out. The sophomore boy's eyes widen with anger and fierce regret for not catching Sakuno's hidden idea.

"Adv. Out" was announced and everyone cheered when they heard Sakuno was ahead.

This was it. The final blow, as the ball was served both players charged up and readied for the ball's approach. When it was Sakuno's turn to return, she struck the ball using her weak backhand, hoping the same result as the last time she attempted to drop the ball to happen again. Unfortunately, the sophomore boy saw this effort, and shot it back with a stronger might, grunting loudly. The ball was hurled and Sakuno didn't notice.

People watching her saw her attention was shot, and gasped. Even Ryoma started to sweat hoping Sakuno would pay attention.

_Sakuno! You inattentive baka!_ He stood up clenching his fist. His throat went dry watching as Sakuno's eyes finally spotting the ball.

Her eyes widened when she saw the ball's short distance from her face. In a pathetic attempt to save the ball, she spun around in a full one-eighty, and swung her racket, feeling the open breeze on her skin. She was holding back tears that were threatening to fall.

_Failure,_ she cried in her hopeless mind. _That's all I am._

…Pok.

In the silence of her mind, the quiet was shattered when she heard the small sound of the tennis ball bounce. _…What? It sounds so distant…but why?_

When Sakuno looked over to her opponent, she saw that he was looking at the tennis ball. Sakuno became lost as she noticed the ball wasn't on her side. Her chocolate eyes grew…Sakuno won the match.

After the confusion, Sakuno allowed herself to hear the cheers from the crowds. A smile spread widely across her face. She hugged her racket tightly. She laughed lightly in a relief that she wasn't a failure. Her eyes were welling with tears. Sakuno wasn't a failure, but a success.

She skipped happily to her friend and grandma. She hugged them both as they returned her embrace. They too were worried she was about to lose. They were unsure how they would treat her, after she held such determination to prove herself to be a worthy tennis player. She released the warm and comforting embrace and sighed in relief. Her attention was called to the announcement.

Ryoma's turn was up. He noted this and stood up from his seat. Ryoma brushed passed Coach Ryuzaki and Tomoka, but as he passed Sakuno he paused and looked at her. She looked up at him curiously. Her hate for him was beginning to die down. She cocked her head to the side as her lips parted slightly in question.

"…Ah…Ryuzaki-san, wish me good luck." He pulled his hat down to cover his obvious blush. The young girl was surprised at his statement. Her eyes nearly bulging out, they both knew he didn't need good luck. He already won his match.

The match was exactly as everyone thought. This seemed too simple. Ryoma kinda hoped he was paired with Sakuno's previous opponent. It seemed like that sophomore had more initiative than the boy he faced. The boy he faced was all talk and no play. The sophomore boy was too, but he didn't exactly try to get the audience on his side to cheer for him.

When the boy left his side, he eyed Sakuno. She stood still thinking about his last statement.

It was her turn. Ryoma didn't move from his spot. Sakuno slowly raised her hands, bringing them up to her lips. She began to tremble. Where did all that confidence run off to? Was she going to let the final showdown end with her cowering in fear of facing the great Ryoma Echizen?

…No. Sakuno Ryuzaki knew better than that. She took a swig of water from her water bottle and treaded careful not to trip and make a fool out of herself towards the side opposite to Ryoma. As if it were a movie, both were looking down but as the audience became restless with cheers, their heads rose slowly.

At the same time, their eyes aligned and they could sense each other's will to win. Not one of them chose to back down. Sakuno couldn't move for a second. She was being watched by the boy she loved so much, that it nearly drove her insane.

Ryoma coughed dryly at this odd pause. He wanted to see if Sakuno really improved or if the previous players were horrible and they just made her seem decent. Though, if that wasn't true, how did she win?

"A-Ano…" Sakuno stuttered, that oh-so-famous blush-stutter combo returned during the moment Sakuno wished it hadn't. "…g-good…l-luck…" Her expected response from the great Ryoma was silence, and that she got.

Lucky for her, she was the first to serve. She didn't have to prepare herself for that damn twist serve. She swallowed hard seeing Ryoma prepare for her serve. Sakuno spun the racket in the palm of her hand as she lightly tossed it in the air and watched as it slowly turned in the air feeling as though time had stopped.

While raising her racket to meet the ball, her mind struck her with her old purity. It was bad timing, but she would have to go along with this flash back while the ball was still ridiculously spinning in the air.

Her mind went blank. She started to remember the reasons why she entered this competition in the first place. Ryoma didn't even know how much she cared for him. The times she tried so hard to get him to notice her it always ended up with her being clumsy. She wanted him to respect her. She wanted respect from him as the only type of person he'd ever notice: a tennis player.

The ball was slammed hard against the racket strings and she sent it over the net with a deep grunt. Sakuno's mouth hung down open as she saw Ryoma casually striding to it. He acted as if this was some simple badminton game! Her mind barked. He used a power hit to send it back to her. Her response, she bent her knees and lowered herself to return the hit sending it far, her goal.

Ryoma saw her action and was a step ahead of her. He sped straight for it and by accident, he lobbed it. Sakuno absent-mindedly rushed to the net to smash it. Her heart stopped, almost believing she was about to gain a point, but was stricken with reality when she saw Ryoma smiling.

He smiled as he returned it to her with ease: an inch passed her.

"15-love," the crowds went wild. That was an intense first bout. Sakuno was calming herself to catch her breath. Amazing…How does Ryoma-kun do it?

She looked over to the satisfied Ryoma. He blinked as she stared at him, then he smirked at her. She bit her lip when she returned to her side.

To calm the crowds, the announcer sternly said, "Quiet please."

Sakuno breathed in deeply as she caught the next ball in her palm before she tossed it in the air and struck it weakly. _Top spin…_

Ryoma knew she was doing a top spin, and in order to propel the ball to make its speed increase, he powerfully struck it returning Sakuno the ball in a soft grunt.

He saw as Sakuno took this by surprise, and nearly chuckled at her pout. She hopped backwards to catch the ball popping it in the air by accident. Her eyes widened and a sweat traveled down her forehead. _Oops…_

Ryoma saw her reaction to the popped ball and wanted to laugh right then and there. She looked innocent as she stared afraid the ball might come back down and out. Her she bit her lip bringing her hand up to her mouth and began trembling.

Even the spectators' heads were cast upwards in the ball's direction. They all forgot how to breathe; wondering what would happen if the ball bounced in. Would they cheer or be disappointed?

Their questions were about to be answered as the ball was seen dropping. Sakuno readied herself this time and prepared to smack it back at the smug Ryoma.

He was standing in between the white lines in the center of his side. With an amused expression on his face, he crossed his arms waiting to hear his score:

Pok.

"15-all," All were silent. What had just happened?

Ryoma's eyes were wide with shock. He quickly turned left-to-right to see where the ball was. He looked to Sakuno who also, seemed surprised of what just happened. His brows furrowed thinking the announcer made a mistake.

Momo hopped out of his seat and rushed to the center of the court. He brought out a dry erase marker and a whiteboard.

"Ochibi! You must be wondering what had happened!" He cleared his throat after seeing a very annoyed Ryoma. "As the ball was coming down," he drew a long arrow pointing downwards on the board with the marker as he continued his explanation, "and neared the court, it bounced happily on your side and continued to softly bounce as it went out of the court." He drew a smiley face on a cute bouncing tennis ball on the board. He pointed to it, getting a surprised Ryoma.

_Impossible…_he looked to Sakuno who blinked in surprise and she scratched her head nervously. It seems the innocent Sakuno was coming back.

…_Eh..? I just scored a point off of Ryoma-kun! Th-that's not possible!_ She gripped her racket before walking wobbly back to her side. As she slowly turned to face Ryoma, she saw anger in his eyes. She jumped, a little startled of his reaction she made a mix between uneasiness and determination on her face as she swallowed hard getting psyched up for the ball to come her way.

_I think Ryoma-kun is mad…_Sakuno thought simply. None of her thoughts from her new self showed…Meek Sakuno Ryuzaki was returning…_G-gomen!_

The ball was in air now, she pounded it back down into the pavement and rushed backwards never taking her eyes off of the ball. Ryoma's reflexes never failed him as he raised his arm, and then extended it behind him aiming for the approaching target. He grunted quite loudly before sending it swiftly across the net.

Sakuno practiced with the wall, so her rallies were decent. She charged racket first returning Ryoma's low grunt with her own feminine one. _Wait…why was he taking so long?_ Sakuno's eyes widened…He was playing with her. The ball flew just lightly bounding off of the net. When it did, Sakuno was holding her breath. When it was successfully on Ryoma's side, she let herself exhale.

Ryoma placed his free hand on the top of his racket, volleying the ball back to Sakuno. She blinked taken aback by his action but didn't fail to react. Backhanding, she grunted sending the ball far down his court. Ryoma hurled himself to it, but kept his balance so he wouldn't fall. Grunting, he sent the ball gently over the net catching Sakuno by surprise…and earning him a point.

"15-30," was announced and Sakuno sighed loudly. She held the rest of her breath since she didn't want to give Ryoma the pleasure he was tiring her. _Arrogant!_ She pouted as she returned to her side, not noticing the crowd cheering for the both of them.

When she looked over to the audience, she saw them go wild. _Is this what Ryoma sees when Tomoka and I cheer for him? Hear nothing, but see all?_ It was not true, nothing can stop the shrill sounds of Tomoka's cheering voice…but as for Sakuno, to him, hers was unusually tolerable.

Sakuno stood by the white line, catching the ball and smiled nervously to Ryoma who caught this odd smile. He was caught off-guard by her action and a blush made its way across his cheeks. _…Her smile…_._it's…pretty…especially when she's **losing**._

His cocky remark made him smile as he pulled his hat down hiding his blush.

Sakuno looked at him curious as to why he tugged on his hat so much today. She shrugged it off as she was about to serve.She smiled to herself. _Ryoma-kun's actually enjoying this game, the one against me!_

**Ka-Pok!**

A loud slam went against the ball. And the ball's journey sped passed Ryoma…bouncing, bouncing until finally:

"30 all," the famous shocked expression graced his face once more.

The crowd lost their ability to speak. All eyes were on the girl who gained an ace on the great prince of tennis, Ryoma. Sakuno nervously laughed as she realized she didn't mean to ace Ryoma. She anxiously turned to her opponent. Angered-eye Ryoma Echizen appeared gritting his teeth glaring at the innocent Sakuno. Sweat dripped down her pale cheeks. She had never seen him this angry before.

Sakuno watched as Ryoma slowly brought his racket up, pointing to her with it, sternly staring deep into her eyes.

"…Oi, Ryuzaki-san. You do know that this now means no more fun and games." He smirked at her as she appeared frightened of what would come to her. She swallowed hard and breathed slowly. Her heart was beating hard against her chest and she tried so many times to calm it. Slender Sakuno nodded to him, not quite agreeing to him as it made her more nervous. Her lip was beginning to quiver and her legs quaked.

The shock of acing the great Ryoma Echizen brought the old meek Sakuno Ryuzaki out completely. Ryoma continues to admire her newfound skill, but won't allow the humiliation of being aced on by a novice. If she wanted to come into the ring with the big boys, she could've just said something and not bring him out here in front of everyone, to ace him.

Ryoma started glaring at her every time she was about to toss the ball. He was definitely not going act the part of the newbie tennis player now. He had enough of the fun when he got aced.

Right at the moment she served the ball, Ryoma dashed for it striking it with great timing. Sakuno struggled to keep up with the pace and sadly…

"40-30," the game was already sensing its end. Sakuno was becoming less confident than she was before. She swallowed hard and walked wobbly to her side.

_Oh, no…I'm gonna lose at this rate._ She looked tensely at Ryoma who kept his face. Boring those angered, yet not hateful, eyes at the girl -who gained a point that normally you'd have to be a pro in order to get an ace off of Ryoma- he stood straight not once leaving his steady gaze on her.

She sighed shakily._ I wouldn't be surprised if that's the same face he makes when someone takes his last Ponta._ With that thought she lightly giggled, for that one second she forgets that Ryoma is still watching.

Sakuno looked over to Ryoma once again and read his eyes. 'Sakuno serve the damn ball.' She sweated a bit more before grasping the green ball and tossing it into the air.

Ryoma just couldn't let that one ace go. It was already nearing the end of the match.  
This tennis match wasn't ordinary. Unlike the traditional tennis matches, you'd have to score a full six points in order to win this tournament. Ryoma was on his way to win this quicker because she aced him._ She shouldn't have done that. _He thought wickedly.

He swiftly rushes up to the net and pounds it back on her. She squeals in surprise at this strong action.

He smirked quickly before walking back to his spot before hearing,

"Ad in," and he felt satisfied.

Ryoma readjusted his hat. He smiled a bit devilishly before patting a wrinkle out of his polo. Sakuno clenched her eyes shut. Her losing not only decreases her confidence, but slowly transforms her into the old Sakuno.

"A-ano…" she gripped her racket. She glanced over to the scoreboard and saw she was headed for a loss. Her face soured and a blush appeared out of nowhere. She quickly looked down.

Tomoka was the first to notice her change in behavior. _Maybe the pressure is on her? _She frowned, unsure now whether or not if she should cheer for her nervous friend or the school eye candy, Ryoma. _Ehh…a girl shouldn't have to choose between a school cutie, and her best friend! The world is against me!_ Tomoka thought dramatically. She looked over to the rest of the audience who had no trouble choosing since half of the audience cheered for Sakuno and the rest, Ryoma.

Sakuno sighed frowning; well _it was fun while it lasted_. She flipped her braids behind her. She stood preparing to serve once more. After tossing it in the air she sighed once before tapping the ball.

"Fault," went the announcer. Sakuno's eyes widen and she frantically saw her mistake. It didn't make it over the net. She began shivering and hoped she wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

_Heh, you're only stalling the inevitable, Sakuno_. Ryoma thought. A smirk yet again graced his lips and tugged on his hat before getting into position.

Sakuno swallowed loudly. "G-gomen!" She sputtered. Her habits showed again. Sakuno squeezed her eyes tight after groaning for her clumsiness.

They tossed her another ball and she nearly dropped it. Everyone was looking at Sakuno as if she grew another head. It was just a few moments ago when this same girl smashed on her opponents before her. Now, she couldn't even catch a ball. At that moment, she thought back to her encounter with Ryoma at the tennis courts. The moment after she mindlessly allowed the ball to hit her in the face…when he showed he cared.

…He…cared? Sakuno's chocolate eyes glazed with amazement and shock. Her face flushed and her embarrassment was beginning to show…in front of everyone who was watching the match.

"What happened! Is she sick! Why is her face so red?" People in the audience shouted to the two competitors. They were waiting for her to serve, and when she was thinking about it, her thoughts also embarrassed her getting her side-tracked.

All the while, Ryoma frowned. He cocked his head to the side looking questionable at Sakuno. She was just standing there, frozen. He jumped slightly when he saw her blink, assuming she snapped out her daydream. He guessed that she finally realized she was in the middle of an intense tennis game that would judge whether or not Sakuno really is a good tennis player or if those other two matches were flukes.

…Oh, it was so amazing at how well he knew Sakuno. He also guessed what was about to come, too.

"G-gomenasai minna-san!" She yelped, hopelessly. She began bowing to the audience who all let out a big exaggerated sigh. Her face was already beet-red once, and now it got darker. She returned facing Ryoma who didn't look annoyed at all, but amused.

_Why does Ryoma look pleased?_ She looked to him curiously and shook her head of all possibilities before preparing to serve again. She swallowed hard and tossed the ball into the air. She hoped this next part, would last longer than just a few seconds.

After releasing a low grunt the ball was sent clear over the net and into Ryoma's side. He stood his ground before returning it with ease, and softly enough so that Sakuno could get to it.

_Wait…why did I do that?_ He thought quickly scratching his head. Ryoma even told her that fun and games was over and it was hardball now. But that didn't look like hardball!

Sakuno smiled sweetly before strongly tapping the ball hitting it back to him. He caught her smile and blinked thinking about how much he liked her smile.

_Baka! Don't get distracted!_ He shook his heads of those damn teenage boy thoughts before back-handing the ball, pushing it farther down Sakuno's side. _Geh, I could've just smashed it…why didn't I smash on her!_

Sakuno pleasantly giggled and wondered why he was suddenly going easy on her when he promised he wouldn't do that. It's a good thing she wasn't aware of his internal problems, it would give her an advantage over Ryoma. She hit it back trying to put all her power into it.

_Gah! I want to end it now!_ His mind screamed, but his body refused to listen. His body continued to return Sakuno with gentle hits so she could return it back to her. _Wait…I **can** return it to her without her having to stop in the middle of the rally to retrieve the ball!_ He thought long and hard about his late realization. He noticed her groundstroke was smoother than his previous rallies with her, and her form wasn't so sloppy.

His admiration of her improvement was affecting his thinking. Though he couldn't fathom this strange increase of respect and pride that would bubble up inside him for her, he couldn't exactly forget them. Without noticing, he found himself in a serene rally between him and Sakuno. Does Sakuno know what they're doing?

_Why is Ryoma going easy on me?_ Sakuno was being lead to think that he was going to use this as another way to tease her. She could imagine it now:

'Sakuno, you're rallies are awful. It was just like the time at the tournament, remember?' she imagined him smirking, enjoying her agony.

She sighed tiredly at the thought and wanted to get some answers.

"Ryoma-kun, what are you doing?" She breathed, but it was said loud enough so he could hear her.

"…I-I don't know!" When he said that, she felt lost. Surely, the great prince himself would be well aware of when he was going easy on a 'novice' tennis player like Sakuno. Why would he have trouble understanding the reason he needed to tease her?

Ryoma too was struggling with his own answers. He had the perfect moment to completely mercilessly defeat her. He was stalling her defeat, not the other way around.

His arm was still swinging but it was as if it was possessed to deny the power his mind was demanding. He wanted to end it, but as he looked at Sakuno, his will to beat her in a split second dropped…

Ryoma remembered her other wins. He recalled how happy she was, her air was cheery, and her eyes shined with the gleam of sheer pleasure. She prettily smiled and clapped her hands together as if to almost look…cute.

It was then when his jaw dropped. His mind admitted she was cute. Sure, he noted she was an attractive girl, but never actually took the time to really look at her. During this match, he couldn't do anything but look at her. In the back of his mind, he was to always keep an eye on his opponent. That he did, but any good that did him. Ryoma Echizen couldn't deny the fact that this meek, clumsy, innocent Sakuno Ryuzaki was cute.

And it was then…he didn't notice the ball bounced through her legs…and rolled…rolled and…

"Game, winner Ryoma Echizen," was announced, and Sakuno had lost.

The restless crowds cheered, the girls standing by squealed.

"Ryoma-sama!" The girls cheered, Tomoka couldn't let those girls stand her up so she brought her arms up and started chanting in her shrillest voice, "Ryoma-sama, no one can possibly stop you! Woo!" She cheered her loudest. Even the Seigaku regulars were forced to cover their ears.

Sakuno winced at the shrilly, but recognizable voice and sighed.

_Well, there we have it. That's what it all came down to and I failed, as usual…_ Sakuno sighed and her bottom lip quivered. Her eyes began welling up with tears and she rubbed her eyes just before anymore could leak. Sniffling, she slowly looked up expecting Ryoma to soak up the audience's cheers and smirk in his win. But to her surprise, she was staring into the eyes of a speechless Ryoma, still looking at her.

Sakuno couldn't prevent a faint blush from creeping to her cheeks. _Why's he staring at me? Is there something on my face?_ While still sniffling, she searched her face for any foreign object that could possibly give Ryoma a reason for gawking.

Sakuno merely shrugged the rest of her beliefs and made her way over to Tomoka and Ryuzaki-sensei.

"Ehh, Sakunoo-chann! Why didn't you tell me you turned tennis pro overnight?" Tomoka squealed while hugging Sakuno. "You were so amazing!" She chirped.

"A-Ano…I...I wasn't _that_ good…"she smiled weakly. Tomoka smiled to herself, feeling Sakuno was back to her normal self. _Maybe it **was** just the tournament..._

Sakuno refused to look back at Ryoma for fear he was to look at her oddly. They weren't permitted to leave since Sakuno was in second place in the tournament. _Mou, that means...__I-I'll have to be near Ryoma-kun…when he's scaring me with his constant stares…_

As Ryoma stood nonchalantly by the announcer, he glanced over a stumbling Sakuno. Her face blushing prettily and he watched as she fiddled with her fingers uneasily. His trademark smirk claimed his features while continuing to watch this innocent girl take her rightful place by his side.

_Yes, rightfully by my side,_ he jumped at his present thought and his eyes widen, _w-wait_, _what! _Ryoma instantly shook his head refusing to believe he had a possessive issue with Sakuno. Though the thought slightly left his mind, it couldn't stop the obvious blush from creeping into his cheeks.

Sakuno stood by Ryoma, looking uncomfortable, but relaxed as she heard the audience cheer for her and Ryoma, especially Tomoka. All of her hard work, all of her hidden training…everything lead her to this moment…this moment of her standing beside Ryoma soaking up the feel of victory; she should feel victorious, she earned it. Before she knew it she was looking at a stoic Ryoma with her bright smile blushing from the excitement.

"Good game, Ryoma-kun?" She studied his face and saw a small smile spread across his face. Taken by surprise and accepting his reaction as an answer, she turned away from him hiding her embarrassment. _Eh… Ryoma-kun s-smiled! I-It was c-cute!_ She looked down and sighed dreamily. Sweat was threatening to appear as she struggled lightly patting her face down, telling her emotions to calm down.

Ryoma blinked at her and softly snorted. He didn't understand what she was doing, but he couldn't deny the fact that it was adorable. He adjusted his hat as he was presented with a nicely polished trophy with his name etched and a small check. He frowned, but then it turned into a smug face. _Hey, I could buy a lot of Ponta with this much…it could last me a few weeks._

"Give it up one last time for Ryoma Echizen and his strong opponent, Sakuno Ryuzaki!" The announcer enthusiastically pronounced. All of the crowd screeched and hollered the names of the two tennis players who stood in the center of the tennis court.

The entire area was cleared. It was empty but still had the memories of the cheers and excitement that was emitted during the matches. The seats were cursed with trash and the bleachers cried sorrowfully wanting to be cleaned as people got up from their seats to leave.

(A/N: That was weird.)

Everyone who'd seen this match were stunned and awaited the next day to speak to Sakuno Ryuzaki and compliment her close win. As for Sakuno, she felt her change disappear as she realized her heart was no longer present when she was in 'pro tennis player mode.' When she gained that defeat from Ryoma, she realized what made her human. She realized what made her heart ache was what made her see she had a soul.

It was on that court, it was that small hidden smile, which made her see that she really does need to love Ryoma Echizen.

**A/N:** Like, yeah, I'd ever end a fic like that! Read the epilogue before you choose to kill, me. If you thought this was bad, than wait till you read my poor excuse for an epilogue!


	3. Epilogue: Game, Set, Match

**A/N:** In the middle of preparing her death by real fans of the series Oh, hey, you're actually going to read what happens? Hehe, thanks, but yeah, it's horrible. Just run.

**Disclaimer:** Especially after a stinker like this one, I so don't own Prince of Tennis.

**Advantage Point**

_Epilogue - Game, Set, Match_

As Sakuno entered the school gate, she was greeted with the expected, "Whoa, Ryuzaki-san! That was so cool! You should play in the big leagues!" or the "Aie! Sakuno! That was amazing! We were wrong! We're sorry for saying you were bad!" and the "Ryuzaki-san, you should've given us a heads up so we could've expected an intense tennis match from you!"

However, she didn't really listen to what they were saying. That 'tennis player' they were talking about, it wasn't her. After accepting her feelings for Ryoma, she thought her frustration was that tennis player; she didn't want that, she wanted to be Sakuno.

Tomoka approached her greeting her with the typical 'good mornings' as they walked to their classes.

"Sakuno-chan, I still say you surprised everyone! How did you do it?" Sakuno blinked at Tomoka's sudden question. She shrugged and smiled, "Mou…I just…over practiced…and well I guess it turned out for the best." She saw as Tomoka's eyes lit up with a plan.

"…I know I'm _not_ going to do **that** again." Sakuno looked at her friend confused. _What was she thinking about?_ "Aw, Sakuno, are you sure you don't want to be a pro tennis player again? You were awesome!" Not saying anything but raising a confused eyebrow, Tomoka continued her idea.

"If you kept up your super-cool-awesome-like-Ryoma-sama training, you could be like Ryoma-sama!" That still didn't convince Sakuno; all she did was frown becoming more lost in this idea. "Well! If he's the _prince_ of tennis, then you could be his _princess_ of tennis!" Tomoka started to flap her arms excitedly.

Sure, both girls knew that the other had an eye for the dark-haired young boy, but Tomoka didn't mind if she gave Sakuno ideas of being with him; it would encourage her to be more like Tomoka.

Sakuno finally understood what Tomoka was getting at. She looked down a little sad, then looked 'happily' at her friend, but shook her head, refusing Tomoka's offer. Tomoka's nose wrinkled in disappointment. She wanted Sakuno to at least try to seem like she wanted to fawn over Ryoma. She sighed in short defeat.

But…Tomoka didn't stay silent for long. During lunch to two girls sat under a tree to protect them from the stinging heat of the sun. Tomoka chose to skip out on her club meeting because the idea was still loose, never really answered.

"Nnn! Sakuno-chan, I'm telling you, go for it." Tomoka resisted a motherly: 'it's healthy for you!' but chose not to risk the chance of not being taken seriously.

Sakuno cringed. She knew Tomoka wouldn't give in. She got up with her lunch and started walking. _Ooh, I just don't want to deal with that idea right now…it's too pathetic._

She thought sadly. She'd already lost and her idea was already hit with reality: she can't defeat Ryoma. She started walking faster as she heard Tomoka talk louder to Sakuno. The fast trot turned into a jog, than into a run and then a frantic sprint with her lunch still grasped in her hands.

Her lunch. The contents were her meal, and an accidental, out-of-her-usual-habit, extra meal for Ryoma. She sighed still sprinting. Why was she so pathetic? Sakuno squeezed her eyes tight; hear Tomoka squeal about the possibilities of being hand in hand with Ryoma. She tried so hard denying her feelings and tried so hard not allowing herself to cry. The girls were unsure where they were running towards; they were just running. Anything could happen, right?

"But Sakuno…ACK!" A speeding green object dented Tomoka's face and silenced her for the time being. Unaware of her friend's status, she continued running, not sure where her destination.

"Oi, isn't that Sakuno-chan?" inquired Fuji, pointing to a small girl sprint unusually across the tennis courts. The rest of the boys looked over to where Fuji was pointing, and gasped.

"Hey…yeah, it is! Sak—" before Oishi could say anything he looked over to Ryoma who seemed to look up quickly, then looked back to Sakuno. "O-oi, her eyes are closed! If she's not careful she'll crash into the wall!"

Clumsy…he glared in her direction. Why did he care if she was about to hit into the wall? It was typical Sakuno, hurting herself in one way and losing herself in another. He shivered, 'hurt?' He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. Sakuno dashed apparently having her very own internal struggles. He thought it was annoying how she just couldn't keep one personality. First it was the misleading innocent girl, than the clumsy innocent girl, then the unbelievable tennis pro, and now it's the internally struggling, highly emotional klutz who didn't even notice the fact that she was about to hit into the wall.

…But, Ryoma has more important things to concern himself with. He was having a tinge bit of trouble trying to think of what that important thing was. He began to shake with annoyance. _Dang…it!_ He looked over to Sakuno who was mindlessly running straight into a wall.

"You'd think by now she had already crashed into it, but whatever,"

Inui inquired hoping that was dropping the hint for Ryoma to actually do something to stop her, but Ryoma was steps ahead. Ryoma bolted towards Sakuno's direction. He was fully aware of what would happen if he let her keep running.

Sakuno closed her eyes tight and tried blocking out Tomoka nonexistent voice. She sighed in relief when she thought she successfully blocked her out, but surprised when she crashed into something. Still not opening her eyes, she fell to the ground on her bottom, dropping the lunch box. Her eyes trembled when she sensed someone in front of her.

Believing it to be Tomoka, she began rubbing her eyes, trying to stop tears from coming. In a failure, she broke down and chose to just spill what she was thinking to her 'ghostly' companion. She brought her knees up and hugged them, facing the ground before she started talking.

"D-did it ever cross your mind that I thought myself to be the Princess of Tennis during that time? Why do you have to keep reminding me of something I can never be? It's impossible!" She yelled in between sniffles. "…my rightful place isn't beside Ryoma…" she cried softly. _Everything hurts…_

Quivering Sakuno didn't look up. She didn't want to face Tomoka after her little outburst. She could imagine Tomoka crying. But when she felt pressure on her head her eyes popped open. Sakuno's gentle glazed eyes widened at the contact. What she saw made her completely shocked.

"R-Ryoma-k-kun…?" She slowly put her hand to her mouth as she recalled her words. Embarrassment struck her and she wished she could just disappear. She poured her heart out to the wrong person…the person whom she didn't want her words to reach their ears.

She saw his hand resting gently on her head.

_He heard every part of it…_Her face a just one big red beet on her neck with hair, that's what she looked like at the moment. She was at a loss for words.

No worries, Ryoma spoke for her. "You don't think your place is at my side, Ryuzaki-san?" Her heart stopped. It was so not a good time to be joking. Her hand clenched and she bit her lip feeling humiliated.

"W-why do you a-ask that, Ryoma-kun? Are you trying to make fun of me?" Her eyes glistening, it prepared to moisten again with her tears. She was surprised when he shook his head.

"I want your honesty. Now, let me ask you again," he said in a monotonous, stern voice, his eyes looking deep within her chocolate ones, "did you say that your place _isn't_ by my side?" He brought his hand, and crossed his arms, crouching at her level so he could face her, eye-to-eye with her answer.

_Why does he care…?_ She swallowed about to open her mouth until…

"Oi! Ochibi! What are you doing to Sakuno-chan over there, huh? Are you picking up on her in front of everyone? Where's your sense of romance, hmm!" Momoshiro hollered while the rest of the regulars laughed.

Sakuno couldn't take the embarrassment. She wasn't sure if Ryoma doing this in front of everyone was apart of his joke, or if it was by coincidence. Why had Ryoma acted that way? She was too flustered to stick around and find out. She was already out of the courts.

Ryoma watched as Sakuno ran off and glowered at his male audience. He couldn't fathom the reason why they didn't have a shred of decency. _Simply idiotic…  
_

Sakuno was already far from the tennis courts. Her emotions were running wild and she was still trying to understand Ryoma's cryptic interrogations. She spotted a tree, the one she and Tomoka were talking under and ran to it hugging her knees yet again, frowning. She sighed.

Her mind began replaying all that's happened up to now. Starting backwards, she thought of that previous incident, instantly believing he talked to her only to tease her. Tomoka, who chased her down, that lead her to the tennis courts.

Her loss to the great Ryoma, made her frown but her wins that got her there, made her smile, slightly. She remembered how she changed for a short time before the entire even occurred. That wasn't her, and she didn't believe in changing herself just to please everyone else. She was an individual, not a walking tennis-pro robot!

She recalled her reasons for her improvement, and how she didn't gain the respect she hoped.

…Was it really _respect_ she wanted from Ryoma? _No, it wasn't…I wanted him to see me more as the clumsy Sakuno Ryuzaki…I-I wanted…I w-wanted t-to be his…_

"Princess," her eyes widen at the sound of the familiar voice. She turned around to the source of the voice and her glimmering brown eyes met smoldering dark ones. (A/N: Ermm…what color are his eyes…? -.-;)

He walked out from behind the same tree she was huddled near. He sat himself right beside her studying her reaction to his sudden appearance.

"R-Ryoma-kun?" She looked at him, slightly dizzy from all the teary eyed moments.  
Something in her mind buzzed as what he said finally got into her brain. When it did, she blushed like crazy.

He tilted his head to the side and stared at her some more. He watched her face become a dark red. _Hn, she reminds me of the strawberry on the Strawberry Ponta can… _He pouted, _why was she being so quiet?_

"Ryuzaki-san, you never answered my question…" Her eyes quivered, and sweat began to form just a bit. She swallowed and she glanced over to Ryoma to see if there was any doubt, or hidden joke within his eyes.

…She saw none, but then again, he was good at using a mask. Sakuno gripped the skirt of her uniform, and swallowed hard, even Ryoma heard it.

_S-should I tell him? Ah, he's looking at me so much! Just like last time, he won't stop…looking…_her mind went into a 'duh' mode. Could it be…? Was there even the slightest chance that…

Ryoma's eyes narrowed impatiently. His pout turned into a scowl. This caught Sakuno by surprise and noted she was stalling. "Well?" He huffed impatiently. Her answer seemed so important to him, so there could be…

"A—" just before she could even say anything, their lunch had ended. Their eyes widen by the sudden conclusion to Ryoma's question. And that conclusion was: wait until later.

Ryoma clenched his hand into a fist, frustrated with the circumstances. He looked to the frail girl who was carefully standing up. She looked to him nervously knowing he was probably mad that she took so long.

She sighed and neither of them said another word as they left that spot under the tree.

Sakuno felt ashamed. Her perfect chance to just let her feelings out in the open, and she blew it. As she looked out the window of her math class, she began to think that the tournament had paid off. If it weren't for that experience, she probably wouldn't be thinking about Ryoma's concern for her thoughts. She giggled to herself. Ryoma-kun actually cares about what I think!

She must tell him the truth after school. Sakuno made her goal that by the end of the, Ryoma would know everything it was about what she thought and why she joined the tournament. Killing two birds with one stone, she thought but didn't like that figure of speech about killing birds.

As the classes ended, it was nearing her time to shine. By that time, she was convinced he actually respected her…or well, she thought so. Sakuno thought that after she confessed, she would find out the way he sees her.

Waving good-bye to Tomoka, she walked to the school gates about to leave the school grounds until someone gripped her arm. At first, she thought it was a stalker, until she turned and again, stared into the cat-like eyes of Ryoma Echizen.

"Ryuzaki-san…we weren't done yet." He said flatly. He released his grip on the small girl and looked at her. She looked at him and blushed.

Sakuno cursed to herself, half regretting she hadn't lost that ability to not blush in front of Ryoma. She sighed tiredly and her eyes glittered by the setting sun of the afternoon spilling into the evening.

(A/N: Hehe, yes they took that long. Strict teachers forcing students to stay after school, anyone? Or better yet, the mind-numbing announcements about things that don't interest you and the teachers who believe it is important hold you back from freedom! Plus, doesn't it add a romantic aura around these two? ;) )

"R-Ryoma-kun…it…it's been just a dream…to actually h-have you by my side…and…I-I've felt that…y-you don't really…respect…" _Notice…_she thought closing her eyes, "…me…s-so…a-at the tournament, Ryoma-kun…it didn't feel real that I was actually there…I…felt like I didn't really belong beside…the…Prince…" the whole time, Ryoma never left his steady gaze on her.

"Ryuzaki-san, I don't know where you get your crazy information about me not respecting you, but…I do…I respect your strength, and your courage. You do things on your own unlike some people I'm aware of who'd do things what other tell them in order to be accepted."

"When you came to the tennis courts to ask Ryuzaki-sensei to enter you in that tournament, I thought that was strange but admirable. Sure, it was stupid since you were so bad in tennis, but you must've had a lot of courage to actually ask her, regardless of what anyone said."

His eyes show disappointment as he continued, "…but if you mean to say that you joined the tournament just to prove me wrong…because of what I thought of you…then you might as well just join the rest of those followers, since I don't associate with cults." He looked down and waited for her to reply, and when he was given nothing, he turned on his heel and strode away.

Sakuno's eyes were trembling with fear. He'd accepted even though she was a terrible tennis player. He didn't care about her skills; it was because she was who she was.

Something inside the small girl bubbled up. Fear, frustration, love, hate made its way through her veins and erupted in her heart, "Notice me Ryoma-kun!" She screeched, clenching her hands into a fist.

Ryoma quickly turned and saw her shaking. "W-what…?" He saw this small girl shake, and was surprised by her sudden squeal. Sakuno slowly looked up at the boy, with tears capturing her eyes. She started rubbing her eyes as she struggled for the right words. "I-I…I've always wanted you to notice me…Ryoma-kun…but you never did…I wanted you to see _me_…me, not some crazy fan girl…that's all I've ever wanted…that's…that's why I wanted to enter in the tournament…" It was no use; none of her words she expressed made her feel any better. Sakuno wouldn't stop crying after her confession.

_I really wished that after the tournament, **I** would be your Princess…_

She thought back to the time he treated her face, when the ball hit her. He was so gentle, and he didn't tease her so much, any less criticize her clumsiness…much.

"…I…really wanted to be your princess…so much…" She said softly.

She made a small whimper when she felt warmth on her cheeks. She looked up and at Ryoma again, seeing him hold her face in his hands. Sakuno was speechless, yet curious for what he was thinking.

He stared at her trembling figure and leaned in.

Unaware brown eyes grew as she felt warmth pressing upon her lips. She felt his arms slide around her waist and rested on her back then brought her closer to the warmth of his body. Stiffly, she brought her arms up against his chest.

Slowly retreating, he brought his head back to look down at this girl he kept close to him. Feeling nothing warming her lips, her eyes slowly open. Warmth however, spread across her cheeks, showing physically in the form of a blush.

"….eh?" Sakuno softly breathed, unsure how to act after his action. He held her close, looking into her eyes.

"What you said…if that's true, then you lied about it being right to be by my side. Your rightful place is by my side." He tightened his grip on her just a bit, before adding, "You belong there." Seeing her sweet smile from her teary eyed face made him comforted. Sakuno felt at ease at his words, making him happy.

"Hn, but you couldn't be a princess, Ryuzaki-san. You're too clumsy," he teased smirking. He smiled at her cute pout and gave her a soft kiss on her fore head, as the night spilled into the starry sky.

**A/N:** Mmm. Well, there's my lame conclusion to my first Prince of Tennis fic. Sigh, I'm sorry if it was so lame. The beginning was lame, the middle was lame, and now the ending was the lamerest!

Thanks for reading it though; it makes me feel like I was actually doing something right.

**_…_**

**Ryoma**…never mind about Sakuno being OOC, it was all Ryoma! It was, wasn't it! Ohmigosh, I'm so stupid! Gah, okay, I'll await the true RyoSaku fans arrival to punishment, so I'll prepare cookies and milk! ;)

Oh, and if you have any questions about what the hizzy just happened in this fic, ask, and I'll make sure I could clear things up for you. But if you want to know what the hizz-o just happened, don't…hehe, if you didn't understand the whole thing once, I don't think my lame-brain summaries would help. Hehe.


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